Karnataka: Yediyurappa confident of Lingayat support for BJP, says party will win 130-135 seats

Addressing a news conference in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa alleged that the Congress was trying to pit the community against the BJP

Yediyurappa’s statement came after a Lingayat forum wrote a public letter asking members of the community to back the Congress. (Twitter/@BSYBJP)

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BJP parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa Monday refuted claims that the Lingayat community was moving away from the saffron party. The former chief minister said the Lingayats would back the BJP during the polls on May 10.

Addressing a news conference in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa alleged that the Congress was trying to pit the community against the BJP. “They did not have any concerns for the community when they were in power. Now, they are trying to appease the community,” he said.

Yediyurappa’s statement came after a Lingayat forum wrote a public letter asking members of the community to back the Congress. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has termed the group a “fictional organisation”.

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Yediyurappa said the BJP would win 130-135 seats in the election. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa said, would lose the election from the Varuna constituency against BJP candidate V Somanna, a minister in the Bommai-led government.

“Somanna has worked day and night in the constituency. Siddaramaiah is going to lose miserably,” he said.